in the company shewing his priuy members made this aunswere wheresoeuer quoth he these be there will I finde both wyfe and children After they were come into Aethiopia and had offered themselues vnto the King of the soyle they were by him rewarded on this manner Certayne of the Aethiopians that were scarsely sound harted to the King were depriued by him of all their lands and possessions which he franckly gaue and bestowed on the Aegyptians By meanes of these the people of Aethiopia were brought from a rude and barbarous kind of demeanour to farre more ciuill and manlike behauiour being instructed and taught in the maners and customes of the Aegyptians Thus the riuer Nilus is founde still to continue the space of foure monethes iourney by lande and water lesse then in which time it is not possible for a man to come from Elephantina to the Automolians taking hys course and streame from the West part of the world and falling of the sunne Howbeit in this place I purpose to recite a story told me by certayne of the Cyraeneans who fortuning to take a voyage to y e oracle of Ammon came in talke with Etearchus King of the Ammonians where by course of speache they fell at length to discourse and common of Nilus the head whereof was vnsearchable and not to be knowne In which place Etearchus made mention of a certaine people called Namaâ—ones of the countrey of Afrike inhabiting the quicksands and all the coast that lyeth to the east Certayne of these men comming to the court of Etearchus and reporting dyuers strange and wonderfull things of the deserts and wild chases of Africa they chaunced at length to tell of certayne yong Gentlemen of theyr countrey issued of the chiefe and most noble families of all their nation who beeing at a reasonable age very youthfull and valtant determined in a brauery to go seeke straunge aduentures as well other as also this Fiue of them being assigned thereto by lot put themselues in voyage to go search and discry the wildernesse and desert places of Africa to the ende they might see more and make further report thereof then euer any that had attempted the same For the sea coast of Africa poynting to the North pole many nations do inhabite beginning from Aegypt and continuing to the promontory named Soloes wherein Africa hath his end and bound All the places aboue the sea are haunted with wilde and sauage beastes beeing altogether voyde and desolate pestered with sand and exceeding drye These gentlementrauellers hauing made sufficient prouision of water and other vyands necessary for theyr iourney first of all passed the countreys that were inhabited and next after that came into the wylde and waste regions amongst the caues and dennes of fierce and vntamed beastes through which they helde on theyr way to the west parte of the earth In which manner after they had continued many dayes iourney and trauelled ouer a great part of the sandy countreys they came at length to espy certayne fayre and goodly trees growing in a fresh and pleasaunt medowe wherevnto incontinently making repayre and tasting the fruite that grewe thereon they were suddenly surprised and taken short by a company of little dwarfes farre vnder the common pitch and stature of men whose tongue the gentlemen knew not neither was their speache vnderstoode of them Being apprehended they were lead away ouer sundry pooles and meares into a city where all the inhabitauntes were of the same stature and degree with those that had taken them and of colour swart and blacke Fast by the side of thys city ranne a swift and violent riuer flowing from the Weast to the East wherein were to be seene very hydeous and terrible serpents called Crocodyles To this ende drew the talke of Etearchus King of the Ammonians saue that he added besides how the Namasonian gentlemen returned home to theyr owne countrey as the Cyraeneans made recount and how the people also of the city whether they were broughte were all coniurers and geuen to the study of the blacke arte The floud that had his passage by the city Etearchus supposed to be the riuer Nilus euen as also reason it selfe giueth it to be For it floweth from Africa and hath a iust and direct cut through the middest of the same following as it should seeme a very like and semblable course vnto the riuer â—ster Ister beginning at the people of the Celts and the city Pyrene the Celts keepe without the pillers of Hercules being neere neighbours to the Cynesians and the last and vtmost nation of the westerne people of Europe deuideth Europe in the middest and scouring through the coast it is helde by the Istryans people so named and comming of the Milesians it lastly floweth into the sea Notwithstanding Ister is well knowne of many for that it hath a perpetuall course through countreys that are inhabited but where or in what parte of the earth Nilus hath his spring no man can tell forsomuch as Africa from whence it commeth is voyde desert and vnfurnished of people the streame and course whereof as farre as lyeth in the knowledge of men we haue set downe declared y t end of the riuer being in Aegypt where it breaketh into y e sea Aegypt is welny opposite directly set against y e mountaines of Cilicia froÌ„ whence to Synopis standing in y e Euxine sea is fiue daies iourney for a good footemaÌ„ by straight euen way The Ile Synopis lyeth iust against the riuer Ister where it beareth into the sea so that Nilus running through all the coast of Africa may in some manner be coÌ„pared to y e riuer Ister howbeit as touching y e floud Nilus be it hither to spokeÌ„ Let vs yet proceede to speake further of Aegypt both for that the countrey it selfe hath more strange wonders then any nation in the world and also because the people themselues haue wrought sundry things more worthy memory then any other nation vnder the sunne for which causes we thought meete to discourse more at large of y e region people The Aegyptians therefore as in the temperature of the ayre and nature of the riuer they dissent from all other euen so in theyr lawes and customes they are vnlike and disagreeing from all men In this countrey the women followe the trade of merchandize in buying and selling also victualing and all kinde of sale and chapmandry whereas contrarywyse the men remayne at home and play the good huswiues in spinning and weauing and such like duties In like manner the men carry their burthens on their heads the women on their shoulders Women make water standing and men crouching downe and cowring to the ground They discharge and vnburthen theyr bellies of that which nature voydeth at home and eate their meate openly in the streetes and high wayes yeelding this reason why they do it for that say they such things as be vnseemely and yet
as might controll and ouersee the rest bynding euery man with a seuerall dutye Among this company of litle wagges ther vsed to play a young boy the sonne of Artembares a man of great calling and principal respect among the Medes whō Cyrus for that he refused to obay his authority and do as hee bade hym caused the other boyes to take and lay hold on which they doing he beat him spightfully without measure The boy taking it heauily to be thus abused was no soner escaped from them but he rāne home crying to the city where his father dwelled and complayned of the wrong vyolence done to hym by Cyrus albeit not callīg him Cyrus for as yet he had not that name but the sonne of Astyages heardman Artembar es transported with choller in a rage toke his sonne by the hande and lead him to the kynge where declarynge the intollerable misusage of hys child opened his coate shewed hys shoulders sayng Is it meete O kyng that we be thus abused by the wretched brat of thy heardmā Astyages willing to gratifye Artembares and do him honour by reuenging his sonnes quarel caused the heardmas boy to be sent for who bryng come Astyages castyng towardes hym a sterue and frowning loke began in this wyse why syrra quoth hee you litle punion is it for so base a brat as thy selfe borne of a beggerly vassall to scourge and whip in such sort a childe sprong of a noble house whose father is one of the peeres and chiefe men of my realme The boy beholdyng the king with a bold and stedfast countenaunce aunsweared thus Why my Lord quoth he that which I haue done I haue done by iustice for our towne boyes in whose crew this was appoynting me their king as the meetest of them all to beare rule this fellow would not obay me and thought scorne to do as I bad him for which cause according to hys due desert I sharply punished him and if I for so doyng be worthy to be beaten here I am do with me what thou wilt Whyles the boy spake these wordes Astyages his hart began to rise for he seemd to himself to acknowledge the coūtenaunce of the boy callynge to mynde the forme and signes of his face besydes his stately and liberal gesture the terme also of his yeares hit so pat with the time of his casting out that he verily thought hym to be his yong nephewe Wherat some what astonied he remained silent for a space hardly at the length returning to himselfe being desirus to send away Artembares to the end he might talke alone with the heardman he spake thus My meanyng is O Artembares quoth he in such sort to deale in this matter that you shall thinke your selfe satisfyed and your sonne haue no cause to complayne With which wordes Artembares taking hys humble leaue of the king Cyrus was lead into an inner par lour Astyages beyng now alone with the heardman began to parle with hym where he had the boy or how he came by hym Who thinking it best to stand to hys tacklinge affirmed stoutly that he was his own sonne and that his mother was liuing with hym at home at his house To whom the king castyng an angry smyle Certes quoth hee good fellow thou art not thyne owne freynd to runne wilfullye into the briers and to be cause vnto thy selfe of a terrible death and presently making a signe to hys gard to lay hold on him they toke him in purpose to haue lead hym awaye But the miserable neatheard oppressed with extremity and driuē to so nere a strayght resolued with hymselfe abandoning all fayned allegations to seeke refuge by confessynge the truth wherfore openyng the whole matter from the first head and begynning he fell downe on his knees and humblye craued pardon of the kyng Astyages hearyng hym without glose or colour to speake as it was made light of his fault and let him goe sending certaine of his court for Harpagus against whom hys stomacke was inflamed with greate wrath and indignation to whom appearing in prefence hee spake as followeth Tell me Harpagus in truth quoth he by what death didst thou murder y e childe that I gaue vnto thee begotten borne of my daughter Mandâne who seeing Mitradates the heardman present thought it not best to dissēble and conceale the matter by fayning least he were taken vp for triping and conuicted of a lye but framing this aūswere he sayd My soueraigne lord and King after I had receiued the Infant at your graces hand I cast in my head the best way fittest meanes to obey and fulfill your wil and that in such sorte also that auoydinge your Maiestyes displeasure I might neyther be a minester of bloudshed to your princely selfe nor to your noble daughter For which consideratian I wrought thus Sendinge for this heardman grasier of your maiesties Neat I gaue into his handes the new borne brat with a weighty and precise cōmaundement from your gratious highnesse to put him to death and in so saying I spake no more then truth for so much as your pleasure was it should be so In this sort I committed vnto him the babe with an earnest and carefull charge to lay it out in the desert chases of the wilde and inhabitable rockes mountaines adding a hundred thousād threats of the most cruell and pestilent death in the worlde if in case he should let or in y e least point refuse to perfourm it with diligence Which done by him and the infant beyng dead of my most assured and trusty seruauntes I sent some to behold the child hauing nowe expyred and breathed forth hys last blast who fynding it cold and without sence layd it in the earth and buryed it This standes the case O king and by this death the child perished Now as touching this discourse of Harpagus his talke was directed and grounded on a flat and sincere truth But Astyages makinge no semblaunce of anger of that which had happened began and told him fyrst of the heard mans confession procedinge orderlye with the rest till at length he came to say thus For that the childe liueth and by the benefyte offortune and fauour of the Gods hath escaped death I greatly reioyce as beyng disquieted with no smal anguish and torment of conscience to consider the villany and wicked treeson wrought agaynstyt and beyng often challenged by my daughter for the priuy murder and concealed death of hyr child I was not a litle gauled and astlicted in thought But in that fortune hath turned all to the best send me hether thy sonne to bee a playfellow and companion to my litle nephew and see thou come thy selfe backe agayne and accompany me at supper For the truth is I am in purpose to do sacrifyce to the Gods immortall for the safe recouery of the child to whom the honour and chiefe prayse of this gracious and fortunate happe doth esspecially belong
of certayne Grecians that stode about him what maner of fellowes the Spartans were and how manye in number which after he vnderstode he made hym this answeare Verily my friend sayde he I neuer stode in awe or feare of those which in the middest theyr citye haue avoyde place wherby mutuall othes fayned vowes and protestations they defraude cosine each other whom if the Gods spare me life I wil one day cause to leaue of the regarde of other mens miseryes and bewayle theire owne Which wordes were vttered by Cyrus in mockage and derision to all the Grecians for hauing such wyde and wast marketplaces for open sale and marchaundise For the Persians neyther haue any such place for exchauÌ„ge and chapmandry neyther are troubled at any tyme with buyinge or selling After this leauing the rule and gouernment of Sardis to one Tabalus a Persian and hauing in like maner geueÌ„ one Pactyas a man of the countrey of Lydia in charge with the goods of Craesus and the rest of the Lydians accompanied with Craesus he toke hys voyage toward Ecbatana the chiefe citye of the Medes and hauing no greate regarde of Ionia albeit they were fyrst to bee dealt withall as scanning more sedious in his heade touching the Babilonians Bactrians Sacans Aegiptians all which he determined to assayle by warre hee sent agaynst the Iones some other of of his capteynes Being newly departed from Sardis Pactias caused the Lydians to rebell from Tabalus and the Persians and hauing in hys custodye all the wealth and tresure of Sardis he toke sea and leauied a power of hyred souldiours procuring the helpe and supply of all the cityes lying on the shore Who beyng moued by his earnest intreaty ioyned with him and remouing hys tentes to Sardis forced Tabalus to take the tower for hys defence and sauegarde where he planted his army in a siege against him Tydings hereof beynge brought vnto Cyrus who was yet in his iourney he turned himselfe vnto Craesus and spake on this maner When wil it be O Craesus quoth he that I shall be quiet haue nothing to do wil the Lydiaus neuer leaue of to trouble me and themselues in such wyse were I not best to make slaues of them and kepe them vnder by miserable thralldome and bondage For in this that I haue already done I am not vnlike to hym that hauing slayne the father taketh pity on the children Forasmuch as I haue led thee awaye captyue beynge more then a father to the Lydians and restored to themselues theyr city againe So that I cannot but greatly maruayle what cause mighte moue them so sodaynly to cast of obedience and become disloyall Craesus fearyng least in his fury he would haue beateÌ„ down and defaced the city began thus and sayde most worthye Cyrus thou hast spoken very well and wisely yet neuer thelesse it behoueth thee to moderate thyne anger and not to suffer a citye of so great fame and antiquity to be wholly ouerthrowen whiche the Gods doe knowe is all togeather innocent both of the former offences that were done agaynst thee of the presente treason which is now in hand the first trespasse o kinge I did my selfe and I smart for it the second hath Pactyas done and let him feele the price of it But to the Lydians noble prâ—â—ce shew mercy compassyon and fynd some meanes by infeebling their strength to preuent their courage and to take from them all occasion of treason heareafter Commaund therfore that no man amonges them be founde to keepe any war like weapons in his house ordayninge besides that auorde their coats they weare cloakes drawing on their feete pumpes and buskins inioyne them to bringe vp their children in playing on the cithren in singing in keping of tauernes and vintninge houses and vndoubtedlye thou shalt see that of valiant men and warlike people they will shortely become effeminate and like vnto women y t there shal be no cause to feare least euer hereafter they rise agaynst thee These things Craesus put into his head thirking it better for the Lydians to liue in this sort then to bee comonly solde for salues and vassals knowing that if in case he had not framed a very reasonable deuyse he could neuer haue remoued Cyrus from his purpose It is also to bee thought that he feared least the whole nation of the Lydians should be cleane rooted out and destroied by the PersiaÌ„s if escaping this at any tyme hereafter they sought to rebel Cyrus right glad at the counsayle and deuyse of Craesus gaue him promise to do thereafter wherfore callinge vnto him Mazares a captayne of the Medes hee warned him to charge the Lydians with the accomplishmeÌ„t and perfourmance of all those thinges that Craesus had told hym with a straight coÌ„maundement to let none of those escape vnsold for bondmen which had accompanied the Lydians in the assault of Sardis As for Pactyas the principall he commauÌ„ded himto be taken and brought aliue Which thinges after he had left to the discretion of Mazares hee proceeded immediatly towardes Persia his natiue countrey Nowe Pacyas hauing knowledge that the army drew nere raysed the syege and fled to Cumae whom Mazares spedily arriued at Sardis and hearing him w t the rest of his company to be vanished away Fyrst of al bound the Lydians diligeÌ„tly to perfourme all those things that Cyrus had commauÌ„ded In the next place sending messengers to Cumae to wil them to render and yeld vp Pactyas The Cumaeans toke counsayle togeather decreed to send Branchyde to y e God inguiring of him what was best to be done For as much as in y e place rested an oracle very auncient of long continuance which seÌ„blably y e people also of sonia Aeolia did vse and frequent This prophecy was situate in a certayne field of the Milesiâ—ns about the hauen Panormus whether y e Cumaeans at this time sent for aduise in their affayres demauÌ„ding what they might do in this case y t might seme most acceptable and approued to the gods Answere was made y e Pactyas should be restored to y e Persians which the people hearyng and thinking it wisedome to obay the oracle were fully mynded so to do Howbeit the more part of theÌ„ bendyng inclyning hereto one Aristodiâ—us borne of Heraclides a man of no small accompt amongs theÌ„ either for y t hee beleued not y e oracle or mistrusted y e messengers y t were sent vnto it earnestly w t stood it tooth naile in no wise suffring y e Cumaeans to obay the voyce suggestion of y e God whervpon it came to passe y e other messengers were sent the seconde tyme to wit y e priestes religious meÌ„ of the citye Aristodicus himselfe making one of the company who beyng come to the place where the god held his seate humbly besought hym in these wordes Ther came vnto vs O king a certayne Lydian named Pyctyas prostrate in all humility pitifully crauing
about these matters The people of the two cities Maerea and Apia that inhabite the borders of Aegypt next vnto Africa esteeming theÌ„selues to be of the linage and nation of the Africans not of the Aegyptians became weary of their ceremonies and religion and would no longer absteyne from the fleshe of kyne and feamale cattell as the rest of the Aegyptians did they sent therefore to the prophecy of Hammon denying themselues to be of Aegypt because they dwelt not within the compasse of Delta neither agreed with them in any thing wherefore they desired y e god that it might be lawful for them without restraint to taste of all meates indiffereÌ„tly but the oracle forbade theÌ„ so to do shewing how all that region was iustly accounted Aegypt which the waters of Nilus ouerranne and couered adding heereto all those people that dwelling beneath the city Elephantina dranke of the water of the same floud This aunswere was giuen them by the oracle Nowe it is meete wee know that Nilus at what time it riseth aboue the banckes ouerfloweth not Delta alone but all the countrey next vnto Africa and likewise the other side adioyning to Arabia couering the earth on both partes the space of two dayes iourney or thereabout As touching the nature of the riuer Nilus I could not bee satisfyed either by the priests or by any other being alwayes very willing and desirous to heare something thereof first what the cause might be that growing to so great increase it shoulde drowne and ouergo the whole countrey beginning to swell the eyght day before the kalends of Iuly and continuing aflote an hundred daies after which time in the like number of dayes it falleth agayne flowyng within the compasse of hys owne banckes tyll the nexte approch of Iuly Of the causes of these thynges the people of Aegypt were ignoraunte themselues not able to tell mee anye thyng whether Nilus had any proper and peculiar vertue different from the nature of other flouds About which matters being very inquisitiue mooued with desire of knowledge I demaunded inoreouer the reason and occasion why this streame of all others neuer sent foorth any miste or vapour such as are commonly seene to ascend and rise from the waters but heerein also I was faynt to nestle in mine owne ignorance desiring to be lead of those that were as blind as my selfe Howbeit certayne Graecian wryters thinking to purchase the price and prayse of wit haue gone about to discourse of Nilus and set downe their iudgement of the nature thereof who are found to varry and dissent in three sundry opinions two of the which I suppose not worthy the naming but onely to giue the reader intelligence how ridiculous they are The first is that the ouer flow of Nilus commeth of none other cause then that the windes Etesiae so named blowing directly vpon the streame thereof hinder and beate backe the waters from flowing into the sea which windes are commonly wont to arise and haue their season a long time after the increase and rising of Nilus but imagine it were otherwise yet this of necessitie must follow that all riuers whatsoeuer hauing a full and direct course against the windes Etesiae shall in like maner swell and grow ouer their bankes and so much the rather by how much the lesse and weake the flouds themselues are whose streames are opposed against the same But there be many riuers as well in Syria as in Africa that suffer no such motion and change as hath bin sayd of the floud Nilus There is another opinion of lesse credite and learning albeit of greater woonder and admiration then the first alleadging the cause of the rising to be for that the riuer say they proceedeth from the Oeean sea which enuironeth the whole globe and circle of the earth The third opinion being more caulme and modest then the rest is also more false and unlikely then them both affirming that the increase and augmentation of Nilus commes of the snowe waters molten and thawed in those regions carying with it so much the lesse credit and authority by how much the more it is euident that the riuer comming from Africa through the middest of Aethiopia runnes continually from the hotter countreys to the colder beeing in no wise probable or any thing likely that the waxing of the waters should proceede of snowe Many sound proofes may be brought to the weakening of this cause whereby we may gesse how grossely they erre whiche thinke so greate a streame to be increased by snowe What greater reason may be found to the contrary then that the windes blowing from those countreys are very warme by nature Moreouer the lande it selfe is continually voyde of rayne and yee being most necessary that within fiue dayes after the fall of snowe there should â—ome rayne where by it commeth to passe that if it snowe in Aegypt it must also of necessity rayne The same is confirmed and established by the blacknesse and swartnesse of the people couloured by the vehement heate and scorching of the sume likewise by the swalowes and kytes which continually keepe in those coastes lastly by the flight of the cranes toward the comming of winter which are alwayes wont to flye out of Scythia and the cold regions to these places where all the winter season they make theyr abode Were it then that neuer so little snow could fall in those countreys by the which Nilus hath his course and from which he stretcheth his head and beginning it were not possible for any of these things to happen which experience prooueth to be true They which talke of Oceanus grounding their iudgement vppon a meere fable want reason to prooue it For I thinke there is no such sea as the Ocean but rather that Homer or some one of the auncient Poets deuised the name and made vse thereof afterwardes in their tales and poetry Now if it be expedient for me hauing refuted and disalowed other mens iudgements to set downe mine owne The reason why Nilus is so great in sommer I take to be this In the winter-time the sunne declining from his former race vnder the colde winter starre keepeth hys course ouer the high countreys of Africa and in these fewe wordes is conteyned the whole cause For the sunne the neerer he maketh his approch to any region the more he drinketh vp the moysture thereof and causeth the riuers and brookes of the same countrey to runne very lowe But to speake at large and lay open the cause in more ample wyse thus the case standeth The bringer to passe and worker heereof is the sunne beeing caryed ouer the hygh countreys of Africa For the spring time with them beeyng very fayre and cleare the land hote and the wyndes colde the sunne passing ouer them workes the same effecte as when it runneth in the middest of heauen in sommer forsomuch as by vertue of his beames gathering water vnto him he
the most part of hir nobles to a banquet such as shee knew to haue bene y â— authors and workers of hir brothers death who being all assembled and set together in an inner Parlour expectinge their cheere the water was let in at a priuy grate and ouerwhelmed them all These thinges they spake of Nitocris adding besids that hauing wrought this feate shee cast hir selfe into an house full of Ashes to escape vnpunished By the rest of the kinges of Aegypt the priestes coulde recyte no glorious acte that shoulde bee accomplished sauing by the noble king Moeris the last and latest of all this crewe To whom they attribute y â— building of y â— great porches belonging to Vulcans temple standing on the North parte of y â— Pallace By the same also was a certaine fenne delued and cast vp wherein were builded certaine mighty Towers called Pyramides of whose bygnesse as also of y â— large coÌ„passe and amplitude of the Poole wee will ioyntely intreate in another place These thinges were done by Moeris the last king The rest consuminge the time of their raygne in silence and obscurity whom for the same cause I will passe ouer and addresse my speache to him who came after them in time and went before them in Dignity namely the worthy Prynce Sesostris Him the Pryestes recounte firste of all the kings of Aegypt to haue passed the narrow Seas of Arabia in longe Ships or Gallyes and brought in subiection to the Crowne all those People that marche a longe the redde Sea From whence retyringe backe againe the same way hee came and gathered a greate power of men and tooke his passage otter the waters into the mayne lande conquering and subduing all Countreyes whether so euer hee went Such as hee founde valiaunte and hardye not refusinge to icoparde their safety in the defence and maynetenaunâ—e of their liberty after the victory obtayned hee fired in theyr countrey certayne smale pyllers or Crosses of stone wherein were ingrauen the names of the kinge and the countrey and how by his owne proper force and puissaunce he had made them yelde Contrarywyse such as without controuersie gaue themselues into his handes or with litle stryfe and lesse bloudshed were brought to relent with them also and in their region he planted Pillers and builte vp litle crosses as before wherein were carued and importrayed the secret partes of women to signifie to the posterity the base and effeminate courage of the people there abyding In this sorte hee trauayled with his at my vp and downe the mayne passing out of Asia into Europe where he made conquest of the Scythians and Thracians which seemeth to haue bene the farthest poynt of his voyage for so much as in their land also his titles marks are apparantly seene and not beyonde Herefro hee began to measure his steps back agayne incamping his powre at the ryuer Phasis where I am not able to discusse whether king Sesostris him selfe planted any parte of his army in that place euer after to possesse y â— countrey or whether some of his souldiers wearyed with continuall perigrination and trauayle toke vp their maÌ„sion place rested there For the people named Colchi seeme to be Aegyptians which I speake rather of myne owne gathering then of any other mans information Howveit for tryall sake coÌ„moninge w t the inhabitants of either nation the Colchans seemed rather to acknowledge remember y â— Aegyptians then y â— Aegyptians theÌ„ affyrming that the Colchans were a remnante of Sesostris army My selfe haue drawne a coÌ„iecture hereof y â— both people are in couÌ„tenance a like black in hayre a like fryzled albeit it may seeme a very feeble gesse the same being also in other nations A better surmise may be gathered of this that y â— people of Aethyopia Aegypt and Colchis only of all men circumcyse cut of the foreskin from their hidden partes reteyning the custome time out of minde For the Phoenicians and Syrians y â— dwell in Palaestina confesse themselues to haue borrowed the maner of circumsicion from the Aegypt 〈…〉 And as for those Syrians y â— dwell neere vnto the ryuers Thermodon and Parthemus and the people called Macrones their next neighbours they tooke the selfe same vse and custome of y â— Colchans Howbeit the Aegyptians and Aethyopians which of them learned it of others it is hard to discerne forasmuch as the custome in both Countryes is of great antiquity Neuerthelesse very good occasion of coniecture is offred vnto vs that it came fyrst from y â— Aegyptians at such time as the Aethyopians had exchaunge of marchaundise with them For the Phoenicians that in like maner haue mutuall trafique which the Grecians leaue of to circumcysse them selues and refuse in that poynte to be conformable to the lawes and statutes of their countrey One thinge more may be alleaged wherein the people of Colchis doe very narrowly resemble y â— customes of Aegypt in so much as these two nations alone work their lynnen dresse theyr flax after y e same sorte in all poyntes respecting each other both in order of lyfe maner of laÌ„guage The flaxe which is brought from Colchis y e Grecians call Sardonick the other coÌ„ming out of Aegypt they terme after the name of the countrey Aegyptian flaxe But to returne to the tytles and emblems that king Sesostris lefte behind him in all regions through y t which he passed many thereof are fallen to decay NotwithstaÌ„ding certaine of them in Syria and Paloestina I beheld with myne own eyes intayled with such posyes as we spake of before and the pictures of womens secretes ingrauen in them Likewise in Iönia are to bee seene two sundry Images of Sesostris himselfe carued in pillers one as we passe from Ephesus to Phocoea another in the way from Sardis to Smyrna Eyther of these haue the forme and figure of a man fiue hands breadth in bignesse bearing in his righte hand a Darte in his left a vowe his harnesse and furniture after the manner of the Aegyptians and Aethyopians Crosse his backe from the one shoulder to the other went a sentence ingrauen in the holy letter of Aegypt hauing this meaning By my owne force did I vanquishe this region Notwithstandinge it is not there specified what he should be albeit els where it is to be seene Some haue deemed this monument to haue bene the image of Memnon not a litle deceyued in opinion This noble and victorious prince Sesostris making his returne to Aegypt came by report of y e priests to a place named Daphnoe pelusiae with an infinite trayne of forraine people out of al Nations by him subdued where being very curteously met welcomed by his brother whom in his absence he had lefte for Viceroy and protectour of the countrey he was also by y e same inuited to a princely banquet him selfe his wife and his children The house where into they were entered
onely that are busied in the seruice of the Sainctes that to euery one of them is allotted twelue portions of singuler good grounde exempt free from all kinde of Tribute and Pension and seuerall to their owne vse and behoofe Each plot of grounde contayning euery way an hundred cubyts by the Aegyptian measure A cubyt amongst the Aegyptians is equall to that which they vse in Samos A thowsand of each company aswell of the Calysirians as Hermatybians did yearely geue attendaunce to garde and defend the Kinges body To whom besides the profite reuennewes of their land were certayne Farme-places geuen to each man one Moreouer for their lyuery fiue pound of tosted bread two pounde of Beefe and a gallon of wyne which were duely serued to them euery day When as therefore Apryes on the one side with his stipendaries and on the other side Amasis with an huge army of the Aegyptians were come into the City Memphis they closed bartaile where the hyred souldiers of Apryes acquited them selues very valiauntly till at the length being fewer in number they were put to flight Apryes was perswaded that neither god nor the diuell coulde haue ioynted his nose of the Empyre hee seemed so surely to haue strengthned it to him selfe Neuerthelesse in this fight hee was foyled taken a liue and caried to his owne courte in Saïs where Amasis kept him more like a Prynce then a prysoner for the time that hee lyued At length the Aegyptians murmuring againste him that hee did not well to reserue a liue a mortall enemy both to himselfe and the whole country he delyuered vp Apryes into their handes Whom they immediatly toke strangled buried him in the sepulcher of his father in the temple of Minerua neere vnto a certayne Oratory at the lefte hand as you enter in Being the vse with the people of Saïs to burie all such as out of their tribe haue attayned to the kingdome within the temple For the toumbe of Amasis is placed vppon the other side of the Oratory contrary to the Sepulcher of Apryes and his Progenitours Likewise in one place of this Temple is a fayre Chamber builte of stone beautyfied with sundry Pyllers ingrauen like vnto Palme-trees being otherwyse very sumptuously and royally garnished In the middest of the Chamber are two mayne Posts betwene the which standeth a Cophine There is also a toumbe in the same the name whereof I may not descry without breache of Religion At Saïs in the Temple of Minerua beneath the Churche and neere vnto the walle of Minerua in a base Chappell are standinge certayne greate brooches of stone whereto is adioyninge a lowe place in manner of a Dungeon couered ouer wyth a stone curiously wroughte the Vaute it selfe being on euery side carued with most exquisite arte in biggnesse matchinge with that in Delos which is called Trochoïdes Herein euery one counterfayteth the shadowes of hys owne affections and phantasies in the nyghte season which the Aegyptians call Mysteryes touchinge which god forbid I should aduenture to discouer so much as they vouchsafed to tell mee In lyke manner of the Decrees of Ceres which the Grecians terme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say the publishinge of Lawes and Ordynances of these matters I dare not bee very francke in speakinge no further then religion wyll permit This is certayne that the Daughters of Danaeus were the firste that brought this custome oute of Aegypte and made it knowne to the women of Pelasgos But afterwardes mislyked of the Dores it was vtterly abolyshed and lefte off in all the Countrey of Peloponnesus sauinge of certayne Arcadians whom the people of Peloponnesus lycensed to contynewe in the Countrey by whome the same order was retayned Apryes being dead Amasis raygned in his steede being of y e Tribe of Saïs and trayned vp in a City named Suph In the first entraunce of his raygne the Aegyptians set lyght by him and had him in greate contempte being spronge of no Noble house but arysinge of the common troup of the popular sorte Whose goodwill Amasis soughte to reconcile rather by pollicy then seuerity Being therefore infinitely riche he had amongest other his treasure a Basen of cleane Golde wherein both him selfe and his Guestes were wont to washe their Feete This Bason hee caused to bee beaten into the forme Image of a god and set it vp in a fit place of the City The Aegyptians repayringe to the place bowed themselues in great reuerence vnto the Image which Amasis hauing learned by his friendes assemblinge the people tolde them that of the same Basen wherein him selfe and many other of the Aegyptians had bene wonte to vomite pysse washe their feete and all such base exercises was framed the god that they so greatly honoured saying that his owne present estate was not much vnlyke vnto that Bason for albeit before time he had bene one of the basest degree of the people yet now being their Kinge hee ought of ryghte to bee had in honour Whereby the Aegyptians weare so allured that they thought it meete afterwards to obeye their Prynce Who afterwards obserued this Custome in dealinge with the affayres of the realme from the morninge vntill the places of assembly and common meeting were filled hee sat vppon all matters that were brought before him spending the rest of the day amongst his companyons in swilling drinking such broade and vnseemely iesting as if hee had bene some common rybauld or Vyce of a playe Whereat his friendes aggrieuinge rebuked him in these or such like termes Most worthy Prince it is a great blemish to your name to liue so wickedly more meete it were for you to sit in a Throne of maiesty and decide the causes of your subiects whereby the Aegyptians might knowe them selues to bee gouerned by a worthy Prince and your fame bee increased throughout all the lande To whom hee answered They that owe the Bowe knowe best when to bend it which being alway bent becommeth so weake that it is altogether vnfit for those that shoulde vse it euen so it fareth with those that â—yreing themselues with continuall paynes geuing no intermission to their cares they are sodenly bereaued either of their right minde or their perfit members This king whiles hee lyued without honour was geuen to bibbing and scoffing without measure neuer greatly minding his affayres and as ofte as hee wanted to serue his turne and to yeelde supply to his pleasures he sought mayntenance by filching and stealing whereof if happily hee were at any time attached his maner was to stand stoutly in deniall of the thing and defiance of y e person for which cause being many times brought to the Oracles and places of southsaying hee was sometime conuicted by them and at other times acquited Wherefore hauing attayned to the kingdome which of the gods soeuer had acquited him of theft he had no regard to their temples did no honour to them